Omar Dykes & Jimmie Vaughan
On The Jimmy Reed Highway
RUF 1122
Life got you down? Need to get away from it all? How about a trip On The Jimmy Reed Highway with Omar Dykes and
Jimmie Vaughan? Sounds like the ultimate road trip to me!
Sitting in the front seat on this project beside Omar and Jimmie is the incredible and highly underrated Derek O’Brien,
both producing and adding his tasteful, amazing guitar talents. In the back seat are drummers Wes Starr, George Rains,
Jake Dykes and Jay Moeller; harmonic players Kim Wilson, James Cotton, Delbert McClinton and Gary Primich; guitarist
Gary Clark Jr.; and bassists Ronnie James and Barry Bihm. And, the Queen of the Texas Blues, Lou Ann Barton herself,
is along for the ride as well!
God Almighty, what a line up!! Was there anyone in Austin NOT in that studio? All seasoned vets of the Blue, delivering
their first hand experience via vocals and instruments, bowing in respect to one man who influenced them all – Jimmy Reed.
I hear a lot of CD’s between my radio show and the reviews I write here, but few excite me as much as this project! Let me
make it simple for you. Do you love the blues? Then you NEED this CD. Period.
Dykes covers the vocal duties with that big, warm, gravelly voice of his, wringing out every ounce of emotion possible from
the lyrics of both the two tunes that he wrote and the ten songs that Reed made famous. He is joined in the vocal booth on
various tracks by Jimmie, Lou Ann and Delbert. Lou Ann reprises the version of “Good Lover” she so memorably covered on
her release Read My Lips, here turned into a duet with Omar. The strength of her incredible Texas twanged vocals stand up
to the power of Omar’s growl as few contemporary Blueswomen could. A classic leather and lace effect, the yin and yang of
feminine and masculine voices.
Vaughan adds his undeniable guitar prowess to ten of the cuts. Never overpowering, he nevertheless manages to shine with
every beautiful, blues-filled note he plays and also with the spaces he leaves in between the notes – the secret to his genius.
McClinton is totally awesome on both vocals and harp on “Hush Hush,” and Wilson does his thing on harp with elegance and
grace on the 2nd, 3rd and 7th cuts.
Everyone gives of their heart and soul in their performances. There was a time in the 70’s when they were but kids brimming
with enthusiasm for the blues. But, putting James Cotton (blowing with a subtle yet mighty strength on “Caress Me Baby”) in
the middle of them here proves how far they have come. Once the students, they are now the teachers of a new generation.
I only hope they video taped some of the days in the studio recording this and will share the video with the rest of us, as they
have so graciously shared this ride On The Jimmy Reed Highway.
- Blue Lisa -
Southwest Blues CD Review - November 2007
Current Reviews - 2007 Reviews - available at our store
